So Dragon Age 3.... No Pressure?

[kingthrall]

EA jaws have sealed the lid on Bioware. No more are the classic 6 party adventure games they used to make. No this dragon age 3 is going to be so much like mass effect with dumb party dialog options and hold your hand action guides with Diablo 3 styled skill tree that I will be waiting for bargain basement prices.

Until such time as they go back to the D&D style of fighting like baldurs gate or icewind dale. This game is a bound failure with epic shiny colors and bloom to lure in the dimwitted fans.

 

[DRes82]

I think that if SW:TOR enters 2013 with less than 500k subs, BioWare will be shut down and this won't see the light of day.

Hmm, if that's the benchmark then I guess we should be worried for Bioware. Pretty sure they dropped below 500k subs a while back.

As for DA3- DA:O was a masterpiece. DA2 was a huge meeehhh. They can only go up from there, but they'll be competing against Skyrim. Bethesda is doing the MMO thing now too, though. So, they could just wait around until that horrible idea drives Bethesda into the ground and if Bioware can manage to stay alive long enough with the tumorous growth that is SW:TOR attached to them., they will have no competition!

 

[Windcaler]

I think biowares best course of action would be to take a close look at Elder scrolls. In all of the ES games they take place in a different place in the world so they can have their own self contained stories. The blight in ferelden was a good plot for starting it. Then we got to see Kirkwall as stress between the mages and chantry boiled over (I believe this "civil war" was the real plot of DA2). With DA3 well they could do a plot surrounding Orlais as they hinted at, or they could go to Antiva, or they could go to a completely different area.

Personally I think DA3 is going to be judged unfairly because of DA2 and the ME3 endings. It may end up being a bad game but I dont think it will deserve all the bile its going to get. That said, Bioware just needs to take the constructive critisism and get back to what makes their games fun to play. Lots of choices that matter, well written characters, interesting locations (not recycled), fun combat (if they have to make more active combat then it needs to be like Jade empire not DA2), and a deep story.

 

[Ginger768]

I thought ME3 was the best of the ME series, and that Dragon age 2 while much worse than DA:O storywise had improved combat.

I don't think Bioware has that many fans who are actually gonna stay mad, i think some people just can't let the ME universe go or want a "Disney ending" and are finding things to complain about to vent that.

 

[Ishigami]

Despite all it flaws I still think DA2 was a decent game. Not great, breath-taking, ground-breaking or anything of that sort. It was however mediocre or ?okay? so to speak.
The only thing that made it a disappointment was that it was the successor of a much better game.
If it weren?t for the company that made that game or the predecessor people wouldn't complain that much about this game.

Anyway I hope that they learned their lesson from DA2 and ME3. I will not condemn DA3 without giving it a chance.

Until such time as they go back to the D&D style of fighting like baldurs gate or icewind dale.

And I hope they never will.

 

[RJ 17]

I've seen this brought up a few times around here before but never a discussion dedicated to it. So Dragon Age 3... I can't think of any other modern game that has had so much working against it (save Duke Nukem maybe). Not only do they need to salvage the unmitigated disaster that was Dragon Age 2, but they also need to deal with the fallout of ME3's ending fiasco. On top of that they need to attract new fans while doing their damnedest to reel in many of their old fans who've lost hope in the franchise (in some cases the developer themselves). That's a lot of pressure, and I can only imagine that EA is cracking down in an effort to salvage this IP. I don't work for Bioware, so I can't possibly know what's going on over there... but its not hard to imagine the stress everyone must be under over there.

So what do you guys think? Are the devs just rolling in cash without a care in the world or are they pulling out their hair over this game? I can only hope that, assuming blood and sweat goes into this game, we get something worthwhile out of it.

Fappy! Haven't seen you around in a while! Then again I haven't been around in a while myself, so it could just be me.

ANYWAYS!

As for DA 3 definitely is under a lot of pressure, but I for one believe it's mostly off of the perceived failure of DA 2 (I say "perceived" because I, for one, greatly enjoyed the game after looking past the mechanical issues such as copy-pasted dungeons, but a good story will normally win me over every time) than the ending for ME 3. For starters I'm pretty certain different teams did DA and ME, 2ndly I'm amongst those that thought that Bioware managed to redeme itself a bit with the Extended Cut. For me, it gave me everything I asked for...literally. I actually predicted all the Extended Cut endings in ME 3 topic 6 days after the game came out and long before the Extended Cut was even being considered.

But all the failings of DA 2 was like a kick to the balls to the series. People didn't like how the story didn't tie in at all with the first game (which is no true, it does, but I'll say the fact that someone has to explain it doesn't really help the game's cause), for that matter most people just didn't like the story, period. They saw it as a bunch of random faffing about as some random douche in a random city. I saw it for what it is: a sequel story in a trilogy doing what sequels are supposed to...advance the plot and make way for the 3rd.

I think it's quite clear that DA 3 will take place during the Mage Civil War which officially starts at the end of DA 2. I honestly wouldn't be surprised if the Dark Spawn play a big role in DA 3 as well, as if you manage to get your sibling to join up with the Wardens in DA 2, you learn that the reason they're not helping out against the Qunari invasion is because they're on "urgent business". So something's clearly going on with them.

Granted, I'm a bit of an optimist, but I've got faith that they'll manage to tie the story together in DA 3 and give us something enjoyable. If anything, I think they should post user comments on the original ME 3 endings onto some sort of collage and put it on the wall in the studio. Every day someone has to go up there and read 5 entires. The moral being "We do NOT want this to happen again! Get it right the first fucking time!"

Captcha "Think Green". Great, the Captcha's been reading hippie propaganda again...

 

[Sarpedon]

I don't understand what was so bad about Dragon Age 2. I mean, I understand it was, at best, only tentatively connected to the first game, but still, I rather liked the game itself.

 

[communist dwarf]

I just hope that Bioware will make something worth while and new. I loved DA:O. Combat sucked but at least the story line kept it interesting. DA 2 sucked in every way. Combat was droll and the story line was as flimsy as a wet sheet of paper. If there is any hope for the DA series(IMO) is to go back to the early days and let us do something that is along the lines of playing as a race and experiencing some war only to have it end with how the darkspawn really came to be. Whether its divine retribution or some evil curse from a dying race. I don't care but the series is dry unless they do something new.

 

[Scorpid]

Well, we have to remember that the endings of ME3 were not under peer-review, so I don't think Bioware is just rolling around in cash and ignoring the internet squabble. I never got into Dragon Age (always felt like a generic fantasy to me :/), but from what I heard in DA2, the game went from a story involving nations to just a family getting by. So, it essentially took a step backwards. Might be a good idea to get me up to speed on what happened. But, yeah, after ME3, I've lost a lot of respect toward Bioware as writers, after the ME3 endings, so I assume it had something to do with that?

Narrowing a stories focus is not a step backwards. I enjoyed Dragon Age2 alot more then the first, where it fell down was the "steam lining" that EA seems to worship as a phrase. ME3's ending was just crazy stupid but the rest of the game was gold.

I don't think Bioware is under as much pressure that the guy suggests. Mass Effect 3 and DA 2 made turned a profit and were lauded respectively by critics. I do think they'll listen to fans and deliver something that'll win them the respect they lost with fans, if they don't i'll blame EA of course though

 

[Gitty101]

So long as it isn't rushed and has more in common with the first game, I reckon there's still hope for the Dragon Age franchise. But I'm wondering what/who the focus will be on this time, if they're going to continue where the second left off...

 

[idarkphoenixi]

No doubt what's causing the most amount of pressure for EA is their stock prices. It's been plummeting down since DA:2 and hasn't risen since.

Either way, hilarity is bound to ensue and I'm sure as hell going to be on the benches with a nice cold beer ready to enjoy the show.

 

[Blade_125]

I'm not sure EA is going to really try and make Bioware improve. It would't surprise me if EA is the problem. EA seems to buy companies that are successful, squeeze every possible dollar from them, then toss the dried out carcass aside and look for a new one.

I liked DA2, but I completely agree with a lot of the complaints about it. I was willing to give it a free pass so long as they learned from their mistakes, however these issues seem to keep coming up, and not just gameplay issues, but DRM and day 1 DLC that adds nothing, etc. Unfortunetly Bioware no longer gets any free passes from me. If the player reviews are outstanding by the majority when DA3 comes out I will get it, otherwise I will likely wait a year and get the game adn DLC for $30.

 

[Goofguy]

They need to go about this in a calm, collected approach. Go back to the drawing board and figure out what worked best for the previous DA games. Most importantly, work out a story that is compelling, interesting, immersive and fun. DA:O and DA2 were virtually unrelated in setting and style... how will Bioware bring both their stories together?

I'm aware that Bioware is well past this point and is full in to developing the game but frankly, the team needs to absolutely make sure it is creating a stellar product. Anything less and Bioware can be sure it has permanently alienated the majority of its fanbase.

 

[Nero18]

It's not EA that ruined Bioware. They've been going downhill long before EA.

Yea, DAO was a bit of an incline as far as modern RPGs go, but it was just a blip on the radar, so to speak.

I wouldnt say that, they did pretty good last gen and this generation started out pretty well for them. Sure Mass Effect (1) wasnt a hardcore RPG in the classical sense but it still was a great modern RPG with some deep elements. And of course DA:O.

 

[Fappy]

-Snip-

You know, EC was far from perfect but it actually managed to get me interested in ME once more. I am replaying my main Shep to test the waters with the whole brand new package so to speak.

 

[jprf]

Ignoring the ending, ME3 was a spectacularly good game; probably one of my favourites of all time. Bioware is still a great developer and I will be watching DA3 with interest.

 

[RJ 17]

-Snip-

You know, EC was far from perfect but it actually managed to get me interested in ME once more. I am replaying my main Shep to test the waters with the whole brand new package so to speak.

I was never one of the ones that openly raged at the original endings, I was just left severely disappointed.

Seriously, though, I 100% nailed the endings the EC endings.

Spoiler: This was taken from a topic I created on March 12, six days after the game was released, and long before the Extended Cut was even up for consideration. Here in lies a general description of the 3 remade endings.

Now, in regards to the complaint of "Oh my god these endings are all so depressing! No matter what Shepard essentially dooms civilization by destroying the relays!" Well let's just stop and think about each ending, shall we?

Paragon Ending: Enslave the Reapers. Many people think this is the Renegade ending because it was the Illusive Man's plan, but in truth it is the Paragon ending. For starters, like with everything in the ME universe, it's color-coordinated: Blue light on the ramp and a blue beam/shockwave released by the Citadel, and as we all know: blue = Paragon. But furthermore, think about what the outcome would be. Yes, the relays are destroyed, but the Reapers still exist. Now, though, they are controlled by Paragon Shepard's benevolent will. As such, it really isn't that far of a stretch to believe that Shepard will turn the Reapers from being the terrifying destroyers of the galaxy to being instrumental in its construction. Given that the Reapers were the ones that built the relays in the first place, they could just as easily do so again.

Renegade Ending: Destorying All Synthetics. Again, contrary to popular belief, this is the Renegade ending (red light, red beam/shockwave, etc). This offers the bleakest outlook for the future as Shepard wipes out an entire race (the Geth) and a close, personal friend (EDI) in order to assure the absolute destruction of the Reapers. With the Reapers destroyed, the secrets to building the relays will be lost. However, the Protheans managed to build the conduit, so it is possible that society could still rebuild the relays, it'll just take a much longer time.

They Lived Happily Ever After Ending: Synthesis. I'd imagine this is the "and the galaxy became a utopian ideal "world" filled with peace from then on out" ending. All life - synthetic and organic - now share the same DNA. I can only imagine that this would lead to advances in technology and the possibility to rebuild society, coexisting with the now pacified Reapers.

All wars require a period of reconstruction and rebuilding once they're over, Shepard grants the galaxy the hope for the future, the purpose to rebuild, and the comfort of peace.

And there you have it, my fellow Escapists. A complete, comprehensive break-down of the ending to ME 3 formulated by logical conclusions that can be drawn from what is actually seen and experienced during the ending to ME 3. Now I'll say here what I try to emphasize in all my postings on this subject: this is obviously all 100% speculation on my part, however to me the above answers just fit perfectly into any and all holes left by Bioware's writing which I fully agree wasn't fantastic due to leaving so very much open to interpritation.

Questions? Comments?

Here's the original topic:
http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/9.353986-I-Have-Obtained-ME-3-Ending-Enlightenment-A-MUST-READ-FOR-ANYONE-QUESTIONING-THE-ME-3-ENDINGS

That said, I was very satisfied with EC. Mostly because it's the endings as I saw them in the first place and thus it gave validation to my theories and defenses of a literal interpretation rather than the Indoctrination Theory, but also because it gave me all I had asked for: an frickin' epilogue.

The new Blue ending is my favorite.

More back to the point, though, while I do think that the DA team has MUCH to learn from ME 3 (both what to do and what not to do), I don't think that ME 3's controversy will put more pressure on DA 3. Compensating for the fan hatred for DA 2 will provide more than ennough incentive for them to do a better job.

 

[dreadedcandiru99]

I was never as much into Dragon Age as Mass Effect, personally. The first one was pretty good, and it kept me busy till ME2 came out. Then we got DA2 (pure mediocrity from top to bottom), The Old Republic (no story has ever been good enough to make me give a shit about an MMO, and in any case, I've pretty much moved on from Star Wars), and ME3 ('nuff said--although, frankly, I wasn't nearly as pissed at the ending as I was at the way they handled the reaction).

So, DA3? Meh. I might buy a used copy from Gamestop, if only to spite EA.

 

[nefrone]

I think a lot of people here should play some games that are actually bad. Might give you some perspective.
I personally loved DA:O and DA2. Both had their share of faults, but I think both were very enjoyable and way above average or mediocre.

Of course neither of them is as close to perfection as Baldur's Gate (2) or Planescape: Torment, but I've given up on Bioware or the game industry going back to being that awesome.

I'm confident that DA3 will be as good as the previous two. I hope that it will be better.

 

[Vanitas likes Bubbles]

I will keep my hopes up for this game. It's not like BioWare is intentionally making bad games. Sure, DA2 was probably a quick cash grab but how often do other game companies do that, the answer is: very often. Anyway, I have faith in BioWare. They will certainly have trouble trying to convince there fan base into buying the game but I don't care, as long as the game is good.